The Robin 209 
this reason this is one of the best of birds for the 
young ornithologist to begin to observe. 
A few years ago I interested one of my young boy 
friends, who for two years past had been inclined to 
rob birds’ nests, by making with him a careful and 
systematic study of the robin. 
On April twelfth a pair of these birds was dis- 
covered building a nest in a lilac bush close to the 
house, and but a few feet from the dining room window. 
The nest had scarcely been begun when discovered, 
and I determined, for the sake of my young friend, 
to cultivate friendly relations between ourselves and 
the robins. 
The female was a half albino, the wings being 
partly white, and she had a few white feathers on her 
breast. The male was so much like other robins 
that, only as he grew tame, could we distinguish him. 
As it has been found that most animals are 
made more approachable by satisfying the appe- 
tite for food—even man being no exception—we 
decided to take advantage of this fact. Accordingly, 
on April fourteenth we placed a small board in the 
fork of two limbs of the lilac bush, on which we 
intended to offer food to the robins. We made it 
our business to be about the lilac bush and at the 
window as often as convenient, at first without ap- 
